# Are "mispelled" names in X on purpose or due to poor education? And if the latter why no correction? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778 "2013-01-20T04:08:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/61 "2013-01-21T21:31:28Z")
They changed the site years ago and there’s no longer any way to bring it up, but in the Victorian Registry Office’s online database of names was a Perseffany. Odds are low that they were African American, but (IMO) high that it wasn’t a deliberate creative spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/62 "2013-01-21T21:34:47Z")
I knew of a Kateland, which was supposed to be pronounced like Katelyn, for some reason. I don’t even dislike that name, but there are just way too many things that can (and shouldn’t) be done with it. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/63 "2013-01-21T21:57:13Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I see it far more in white families than in black or other minorities. > > And yes, Alyxzandra and Alysinn (both girls my son’s age) were spelled that way on purpose to be “unique”. I rather like the Alysinn spelling for a girl because it seems more feminine than the traditional ‘Allison’ spelling. IIRC Allison was originally a family name derived from Allis, and actually enjoyed some currency as a name given to boys before crossing over to the girls’ side. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/64 "2013-01-21T22:05:20Z")
Creative spellings aren’t even an American thing, let alone black American. There are plenty of British kids with creatively spelled names. Ask any schoolteacher. > [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Is it that obvious? I must admit I am doing quite a lot of that, and I am also at the same time (not in this thread) trying to inform Americans of quirky (everyone knows we have red buses and black taxis in london) things about over here. It should be itneresting for both sides of the pond. There are quite a lot of Brits on here, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/65 "2013-01-21T22:14:46Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > My father worked with a woman whose name was ‘Female’. > She pronounced it Fe-Mah’-Lay emphasis on second syllable. > Very professional sharp woman who happened to have been born to an illiterate mother. This sounds exactly like a FOAF story I have heard more than once. Did you ever meet this woman, yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/66 "2013-01-21T22:24:38Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I rather like the Alysinn spelling for a girl because it seems more feminine than the traditional ‘Allison’ spelling. IIRC Allison was originally a family name derived from Allis, and actually enjoyed some currency as a name given to boys before crossing over to the girls’ side. What about Alisoun from “The Miller’s Tale”? As a girl name, Alison derived from a Norman French variant of Alice, and was first recorded in Scotland in the 12th century. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/67 "2013-01-21T23:41:31Z")
It’s a girl thing. My sister Judy insists that people spell it Judi. Well, I guess it really is Judith, so rather arbitrary how you shorten it. No such excuse for ex-GF April that decided it was going to be Apryl from now on. So when women who think this is a cool thing have kids, the kids get names with weird spellings. Also happens when people have heard a name but guess at the spelling. I know several Shawns from Texas. Guessing their moms were not James Bond fans. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/68 "2013-01-22T00:22:13Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Also happens when people have heard a name but guess at the spelling. I know several Shawns from Texas. Guessing their moms were not James Bond fans. “Shawn” is pretty common in the US, not just in Texas. (I’ve also seen it as a last name.) Name Voyager indicates it was more popular than the “Sean” spelling from the 1950s-1970s, although it’s dropped off pretty sharply since then. I’d guess that “Sean” was boosted by the rising popularity of Irish names. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/69 "2013-01-22T00:56:04Z")
I have a (white) friend named Dianne, and her mother had no idea that the spelling she put on the birth certificate wasn’t the standard, most popular spelling. I also have a friend whose parents mispronounced her name. Eowyn, pronounced “Yowin.” Gotta watch for those accent marks in Tolkein! ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/70 "2013-01-22T01:55:08Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > There are quite a lot of Brits on here, you know. True but I don’t think most (any?) are going out of their way to point out interesting differences like I am. It would not be correct to say that I see myself as an ambassador, but something like an online tourguide may be apt. In a gentle way. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/71 "2013-01-22T02:50:18Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > True but I don’t think most (any?) are going out of their way to point out interesting differences like I am. It would not be correct to say that I see myself as an ambassador, but something like an online tourguide may be apt. In a gentle way. Not to be too dickish, but there have been Brits sharing their knowledge here since probably a few weeks before your join date. Your contributions are perfectly valid, but Christ, I don’t need a shepherd. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/72 "2013-01-22T03:34:05Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > “Shawn” is pretty common in the US, not just in Texas. (I’ve also seen it as a last name.) Name Voyager indicates it was more popular than the “Sean” spelling from the 1950s-1970s, although it’s dropped off pretty sharply since then. I’d guess that “Sean” was boosted by the rising popularity of Irish names. I did have a schoolfriend whose middle name was Sean, spelled that way. Same age as me, born in the 1950s. (He hated the name too, but that was probably more of a Texas thing, dunno. Although like me, he was born outside of Texas.) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/73 "2013-01-22T03:48:27Z")
> [@hrhomer](#): > > Not to be too dickish, but there have been Brits sharing their knowledge here since probably a few weeks before your join date. Your contributions are perfectly valid, but Christ, I don’t need a shepherd. I like your definition of “a few”. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/74 "2013-01-22T07:00:08Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > True but I don’t think most (any?) are going out of their way to point out interesting differences like I am. It would not be correct to say that I see myself as an ambassador, but something like an online tourguide may be apt. In a gentle way. You flatter yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/75 "2013-01-22T15:04:08Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I went to school with a (white) girl named Katilin, which was pronounced “Katie Lynn”. I was never clear on whether her parents deliberately went with a creative spelling of “Katie Lynn” or if they were confused about the pronunciation of “Caitlin”. The girl went by Kati, but I remember on the first day of class teachers usually called her Caitlin. Thing is, Caitlin isn’t even pronounced like “Kate-Lynn” or any of those variants. It is (or at least was originally) pronounced more like “Kathleen”, which IMHO is a lot prettier. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/76 "2013-01-22T15:05:44Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > True but I don’t think most (any?) are going out of their way to point out interesting differences like I am. It would not be correct to say that I see myself as an ambassador, but something like an online tourguide may be apt. In a gentle way. OK, now I assume you’re joking. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/77 "2013-01-22T15:47:27Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Thing is, Caitlin isn’t even pronounced like “Kate-Lynn” or any of those variants. It is (or at least was originally) pronounced more like “Kathleen”, which IMHO is a lot prettier. Actually, the ‘tl’ or ‘thl’ is a phoneme that doesn’t exist in English, and is transliterated as _either_ ‘kl’ or ‘thl’ depending on where in the word it appears, and what vowels come before or after it. Different places in the word cause native monolingual English speakers to ‘hear’ it differently. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/78 "2013-01-22T17:31:36Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > Actually, the ‘tl’ or ‘thl’ is a phoneme that doesn’t exist in English, and is transliterated as _either_ ‘kl’ or ‘thl’ depending on where in the word it appears, and what vowels come before or after it. Different places in the word cause native monolingual English speakers to ‘hear’ it differently. Hence “more like ‘Kathleen’” - I agree it’s not exact, but closer than “Kate-Lynn”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/79 "2013-01-22T18:40:05Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Hence “more like ‘Kathleen’” - I agree it’s not exact, but closer than “Kate-Lynn”. 🙂 I wasn’t disputing you, I was agreeing with you while adding some pedantic additional useless trivia, as is this board’s tradition. 😉 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778/80 "2013-01-22T19:41:40Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > I wasn’t disputing you, I was agreeing with you while adding some pedantic additional useless trivia, as is this board’s tradition. 😉 🙂 I see. So does that mean some people hear it as “Cackleen”? Maybe Kate-Lynn ain’t so bad after all. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-mispelled-names-in-x-on-purpose-or-due-to-poor-education-and-if-the-latter-why-no-correction/647778.md?page=5)